It’s been a while since I’ve done a truly classic traditional hot rod project. Most recently I’ve been completing a ’57 ‘Vette tha’s from the late 50’s period and includes a custom paint scheme and a Bonnecille variant. But in the final analysis it’s a sporty car. The other week, though, Nico Lindström (Mr.409) and Eric Stone (EchoBravoSierra) posted some photos of some knockout stock roof ’36 Fords done in a classic mild custom style on the ’36 Ford inspiration thread over on the TRaK board (see: http://trakinscale.proboards.com/thread/12533/1936-ford?page=2). That got my juices flowing for sure. The result is a back-to-basics project, an AMT ’36 Ford with stock roof height, stock hood sides and trim, but severely lowered, with flipper ‘caps (via an AMT ’40 Ford Sedan Delivery) and Firestone Deluxe Champion Whitewalls (these last some really nice resin items courtesy of Scenes Unlimited – fully labeled even). The interior is based on the kit bucket but the seat was completely worked over, removing the seat surfaces and fabricating a classic tuck and roll out of styrene half round for the bolsters and styrene corrugated stock for the rolls. The interior sides also got the same treatment. The interior will be finished in white to complement the body undersides. The basic paint is Duplicolor Bright Red over white primer. I haven’t decided on the bumper treatment (stock bumpers, ’40 Ford bumpers or nerf bars…???), but I opened up the holes for the kit Appleton spots so I’m committed to them. The headlights and taillights will be stock.

Here’s the work so far. The first pics show the interior fabrication work and then the basic color and stance.

Thanx! I'm glad you're diggin' it. It will be a restor-rod, pretty close to stock bodied.

I’ve always considered that the old model car kits from the earliest days function as a kind of time machine, an accurate representation of the point-of-view of the creators of these kits at the time they were made. This is particularly useful when these kits are contemporary with what they are representing. Monogram hot rod kits from the early 60’s particularly excel in capturing the flavor of the era, but AMT were no slouches either and issued several classic kits that have withstood the test of time for their ability to document the era it was created in. One of these is the AMT ’36 Ford Coupe kit, first released in 1961, and this project is all about trying to “go with the flow” and limit any changes I make to ones which will enhance what AMT has already given us, a straight-up late 50’s street rod.

This update is about that approach. Essentially there’s nothing major going on, just some basic kit assembly work, and finishing out the interior I started last time. Colors and details are what I focused on. The hopped-up Pontiac V8 motor, for example, is a classic late 50’s/early 60’s piece, with the showy chrome bits one saw at the kustom kar shows. So basically, with the exception of the air cleaners, which are the bottoms of the flathead air cleaner flipped upside down and finished in Molotow Chrome, everything is straight out of the box. The block is finished in gold, a common treatment for show cars of the period, and in keeping with the white undercarriage engine compartment finishes. The interior is down in Duplicolor Oxford White and Duplicolor Crème. I added red piping to introduce some contrast once the interior is put away inside the body. The steering wheel is an AMT ’40 Ford unit. Otherwise, again, out of the box.

I’ve decided to stick closely to a stock-body look, in keeping with the un-chopped top. I’m also appreciating what a fine job the AMT designers did with this 1961 vintage Trophy kit. I’m not building this car from any one kit, but from a box of leftover parts, and yet everything seems to fit together properly and the logic of the way the parts fit is spot on. Of course the 1936 Ford Coupe is also a tribute to E.T. "Bob" Gregorie, head of Ford body design, and close ally of Edsel Ford in the inside battle to modernize the company as it competed with GM, despite the resistance put up by Edsel’s father Henry. Gregorie was only in his mid-20s when he penned an unbroken line of classics throughout the Depression years concluding with what would be the 1949 Mercury before retiring at the age of 36 in 1946 after Edsel’s death. As I made my design decisions I decided to stick close to Gregorie’s masterpiece, only adding conservative 50’s style customizing touches, in this case the Appleton spots from the kit, and a padded spare tire cover adapted from a Monogram ’59 Chevy kit. It’s currently only in mockup form, but with the stock bumpers in their stock positions it was needed.

Below are two photos showing where I’m at for now. The rear view is mocked up with the tire held in place with masking tape and the bumper tacked in place. The stock hood sides and trim will all be retained.

All finished up, now. Below is a summary photo of the final details. With the exception of the deleted rumble seat handle the bodywork details are all stock. I used the Lucas lenses in the headlights from the kit. I’ll post the final “beauty shots” later today or tomorrow. Thanx to all who followed along.

I've followed along with this build from the beginning as you know how much I like the old AMT Trophy Series kits when some TLC is applied. You sure did a beautiful job on this one. It looks like it just "jumped" off the pages of a '60s ROD & CUSTOM magazine. Absolutely wonderful. I love it.

Thank you everyone. I'm delighted you all like it. I'm always grateful when one of my models can make a connection...

streetrod

Hi Bernard,

... you know how much I like the old AMT Trophy Series kits when some TLC is applied. You sure did a beautiful job on this one. It looks like it just "jumped" off the pages of a '60s ROD & CUSTOM magazine. Absolutely wonderful. I love it.

Barry Fadden

Thanks so much Barry. I've always considered the '35-'37 Ford two-door bodies (especially the 3-window and the roadster with their longer doors) the pinnacle of 30's "Deco" streamline body design in a mass produced car. E.T. "Bob" Gregorie, head of Ford body design, and close ally of Edsel Ford, doesn't often get the credit he deserves for these and his other masterpieces. He was a master of the style and the model 40 and its successors were among the finest popularly priced automobiles of the pre-WWII era.

As you know, I've always considered your yellow '36 the Gold Standard for doing this AMT kit. The beauty of the design makes it easy to stick with the original and focus on my personal "holy grail" in modeling, the Clean Build. And that, your yellow roadster truly is. Really fine technique gives you the freedom to stay focused on the overall look with the confidence that you won't detract from it by drawing the viewer's eye to flaws and shortfalls. I've been chasing the elusive Clean Build ever since I returned to modeling almost ten years ago. I'm not there yet, and truly immaculate builds still leave me stunned and envious, but the resources an excellent kit like the AMT '36 Ford offers, is an opportunity to take another swing at it.

Thank you very much for the kind words about my yellow '36. It remains one of a couple of my favorite models along with my Yellow '32 Tudor. Praise and compliments coming from you mean more to me than you know. An "attaboy" from you and I'm happy with the results. This '36 you just finished is really, really nice and I feel it is very, very clean. It's also built the way I like them and how I would do another one.

I've followed along with this build from the beginning as you know how much I like the old AMT Trophy Series kits when some TLC is applied. You sure did a beautiful job on this one. It looks like it just "jumped" off the pages of a '60s ROD & CUSTOM magazine. Absolutely wonderful. I love it.

Barry Fadden

I have 9 of these to build eventually. The one I have completed is very traditional. I'll post a photo (in another post) tomorrow.

Thats pretty darn nice ride, i really like how you kept it without top chops and other body mods. It has a feel of common mans hot rod, you know. Even though its very flashy in a good way, one could have built it back in the the days without having to use welding rig etc.

Thanks Gluecipher! This is what I wrote on another site about this project and the style it represents:

"The Resto-Rod style of street rod was born of the realization among hot rodders in the late 50’s that the popular pre-war hot rod body styles, especially Fords, were starting to get scarce and that these classic bodies were at risk of disappearing under the welder’s torch. So rodders began preserving the original bodies and trim, while hopping up, restoring, re-upholstering and repainting the old cars in the hot rod style. This AMT ’36 Ford 3-window coupe is done in the early form of the Resto Rod style as it would have been seen in the late 50’s, particularly in Southern California."

Oh ok, well thats something that makes sense. It kind of reminds me of my buddy who's been choppin and dicing his 30-50's Fords in to customs and rods, but the more time goes on, the more he seems to dig untouched ,and restored vehicles as well. It starts seemingly with getting serious on building it as perioid correct as possible

To me however your build seemed like a rod that any guy would do with bolt on mods, and i like it as though cars of my youth were from europe , most stuff at the beginning was either removing excess parts to get weight down, or by bolting on parts to gain either ladies in or race against others.